Total gastrectomy for cardiac carcinoma of middle and advanced stage through low left thoracotomy. A report of 29 cases

Twenty-nine cases of cardiac carcinoma of middle or advanced stage were treated by total gastrectomy through the 8th or 9th costal bed on the left side chest, R 2 or R 2 + magnitude of regional lymph nodes clearance were performed in 25 cases of them. The exposure of the operative field was ample and the surgical operation was readily performed. The authors think that radical total gastrectomy through a low incision on the left chest was feasible. The complications were fewer than those in other approaches. In 20 cases who underwent radical total gastrectomy, the 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates were 60%, 28.6% and 16,7% respectively.